McDonald’s to start offering new premium burgers Monday

The face of a McDonald’s hamburger takes a new look beginning Monday, when the chain will begin selling premium hamburgers at more than ¥500.

McDonald’s Holdings Co. says the premium burgers, Quarter Pounder BLT’s, will sell for a limited period for ¥520~570, the most expensive burgers in its lineup. It will also release the Quarter Pounder Habanero Tomato with price tags of between ¥480 and ¥520. The Habanero Tomato burger is served with a spicy habanero sauce. The new items will be sold at all McDonald’s outlets in Japan.

The launch of the new burgers is intended to improve the company’s profitability.
Eiko Harada, president and chairman of the company, told a press conference that he believes the all-new hamburgers will help boost the number of customers. McDonald’s Holdings Co. (Japan) saw its group sales and net profit fall for the first time in nine years in 2012 due to a decrease in customers.

Thanks partly to price revisions later, the firm’s same-store sales increased 0.5% year on year in May, turning up for the first time in 14 months. This marks the first time McDonald’s Japan is to sell burgers for more than ¥500.